Stray Wolves
by Wolf's Willow
Summary: When the Great Kings and the Wolf Spirits accidentally cause a portal to appear, Elizabeth's gray wolf pack somehow end up in Africa. Can Simba and his pride help them adapt, and get them home? T for later violence and deaths. COMPLETE.
1. Prologue

Summary: When the Great Kings and the Wolf Spirits accidentally cause a portal to appear, Elizabeth's gray wolf pack somehow end up in Africa. Can Simba and his pride help them adapt, and get them home?

Genre: Friendship and Adventure

Red Creek Valley Pack

Alpha male: Dean (bright gray wolf, amber eyes)

Alpha female: Elizabeth (beautiful blonde wolf, green eyes)

Beta male: Creek (silver wolf, yellow eyes)

Beta female: Red (dark tan she-wolf, pale blue eyes)

Healer: Sandy (pale gold she-wolf, bright green eyes)

Adults: Tree (dark gray he-wolf, amber eyes)

Valley (black she-wolf with paler underside, amber eyes)

Willow (pale silver she-wolf, amber eyes)

Oak (brown he-wolf, green eyes)

Juveniles: Bramble (gray he-wolf, blue eyes)

Wood (blonde she-wolf, bright amber eyes)

Jelly (white she-wolf, blue-green eyes)

Mountain (yellowish brown he-wolf, bright green eyes)

Omega: Yew (gray he-wolf, amber eyes, twisted tail)

"Mum! There's a weird shining thing here!"

The blonde colored wolf was not sure what her youngest pup was yipping about. Sure, Mountain was a year and a half old, but perhaps he was hallucinating. Elizabeth was seriously considering getting her pack healer, but then her much more trusted beta wolf, Red, called out. "Mom! He's not lying! There is a portal!"

Now that Elizabeth had a trustworthy source, she turned away from eating some leftover elk, and turned around. Sure enough, a circular portal was shining near the den. Elizabeth and her most brave wolves (namely Willow, Tree and Creek) approached the portal.

Elizabeth smelled a strange scent around the portal. It smelled like summer, with an elk-like scent to it. She stepped forward cautiously and sniffed the portal. That was the biggest mistake of her life.

Without warning, just as her nose made the slightest contact, Elizabeth was pulled into the portal. She was falling, falling, falling…

She looked up. The rest of her pack had too sniffed the portal and fell as well.

_Noble Spirits, I hope you know what you're doing…_


	2. Into Africa

Simba intended to go for his morning rounds around Pridelands. He did not plan for the world to make no sense. He did not plan to meet his late father and a strange wolf. And he definitely did NOT intend for it to rain wolves.

The day started as any other. He had been awakened by Sarafina and Sarabi's roar for the hunt. They did not intend to wake him up, but of course, he had to patrol the Pridelands. Nala was already up and about, shaking Vitani and Kiara awake. Kovu had already woken up, too, and was waiting to hunt as well.

Just as Simba went out of the den, falling shapes appeared from the bright, clear blue sky. When they were closer, Simba realized that they looked like hyenas. Bigger, longer, stronger and leaner, but they had the same dog-like looks. But these were different. They were long, lean and strong, with a perfectly even body, a bushy tail, pointed ears and a long snout.

To make it worse, they just HAD to land on the lionesses. The leaders, a blonde specimen and a bright gray one, stood up and howled. The rest of the panicking specimens calmed down. Suddenly, there were two flickering shapes, and two ghosts appeared on Priderock. One was a big lion that looked like Simba, and the other was another one of those weird creatures, with a black pelt.

"Mufasa!" gasped Sarabi, rushing towards the lion. Indeed, the lion was Simba's late, deceased father, and the former king. "Mother!" gasped the blonde leader. She rushed to the black specimen (Simba had decided to call them that for the time being) and yipped happily, licking her chin. "Elizabeth!" barked the black specimen. She nuzzled the blonde specimen's head.

The other leader, the bright gray one, stepped forward. "Elizabeth, is this Helen?" he asked. 'Elizabeth' nodded in excitement. "Oh, Mother, I thought you were gone! But now I suppose you've met Father again," Elizabeth whispered.

While Elizabeth, Helen and the gray specimen were exchanging greetings, the lions were exchanging their own with the former king. Cries of "Mufasa!" could be heard on Priderock. The hunt was abandoned, and Zazu was going crazy. "Sire! Mufasa! The elephants and the rhinos are quarrelling…" But Simba wasn't listening. "Father?" he said softly.

Mufasa smiled. Before he could speak, Helen had piped up. "Mufasa? We should tell them, you know." Mufasa sighed. Whatever it was, it obviously wasn't pleasant. "Oh, alright, Helen… just because Moor will kill me if I don't—hey!" Mufasa's sentence was cut off as Helen leapt onto his back. He shook her off, and spoke again.

"As Helen was saying, we have a bit of a crisis here. The wolves' head shaman, Sun, was playing about with portals. He was experimenting, but Rafiki's grandmother, Rainbow, was doing the same thing. The portals somehow connected, and Elizabeth's pack was dragged into this. You'll have to help the wolves adapt to the Pridelands until Sun and Rainbow get things fixed again," explained Mufasa, nodding towards the specimens.

As happy Simba was to see his father, he was skeptical about letting canines into Priderock. The last time that happened, Pridelands nearly died completely. "Are you sure?" he asked. Mufasa nodded. Before he could say anything else, Simba's father and Helen had disappeared.

Just as Simba was recovering from shock, Elizabeth walked up briskly. Her expression suggested that spirits visited her daily, but Simba doubted it. "Greetings, I-don't-know-your name. I am Elizabeth, Alpha female of the Red Creek Valley Pack. This is my mate, the Alpha male, Dean. These are my Betas, Creek and Red. Sandy! Come here! Sandy is our healer. Our adults are Tree, Valley, Willow and Oak. The juveniles in our pack are Bramble, Wood, Jelly and Mountain. Yew is our Omega. Right now, we have no puppies, though everyone in my pack except Dean and Creek are my children."

Elizabeth spoke so briskly and quickly; Simba barely had time to register all she said. She gave him a sort of look that said 'Well? Who's _your _pack?' Simba drew himself to full height, but Elizabeth hardly seemed intimidated by the much larger lion.

Instead, she lay down along with the rest of her pack, rested her chin on her paws and yawned. "Well? We don't have forever. For some reason, now I understand why Mother called lions 'stupid, lazy old lumps'," Of course, the rest of the pack laughed out loud at this, but the lions' weren't so impressed.

"I am Simba, king of the Pridelands. This is my queen, Nala, and the heirs to the throne, Kiara and Kovu." Suddenly, Creek acted strangely. He leapt up, snarled at Kiara, and then stomped off. "Creek!" some of the pack called. "Bring him back," ordered Dean. Willow and Mountain nodded, and then followed Creek.

Elizabeth growled at Kiara as well, and so did Red. "Sorry 'bout them. But they've had bad experiences with a mountain lion named Kiara. As tasty they are they can make formidable enemies. We don't just toss that name around our pack," apologized Dean.

Kiara nodded, then she and Kovu returned to the cave. But Dean and Elizabeth stood up and walked to Simba and Nala. Their tails were erect, ears forward and standing tall. The air around them made Simba feel like he was supposed to crouch down, and Nala obviously felt the same way.

Fortunately, they managed to stay standing. The rest of the pride weren't that resistant. They crouched down, tails tucked. Elizabeth and Dean smirked. Nala turned around and growled. "We're not supposed to look weak!" she hissed. "King Simba, we must arrange our dens. Is there a place where we can stay? Out of the sun, though," barked Dean briskly.

Nala had a suggestion. "What about Scar's old cave?" she said. "Is it big enough to hold an entire pack?" Elizabeth retorted. Simba sighed. Elizabeth's tongue was inconveniently sharp, and he had a feeling this would be a long day.

**Simba's point of view! Next will be Elizabeth's again.**


	3. The Irritating Alpha

Elizabeth couldn't help but smirk. She knew that her sharp tongue was getting to the lion. That was her gift. She wasn't the biggest or strongest wolf, but her irritatingly sharp tongue always got her enemies. True, she was a bit afraid of the lions, but she didn't show it. 'Never act weak,' her mother had said.

"No," sighed Simba, "it's only enough for two wolves,"

"Then do you expect us to sleep in the open? My wolves will get heatstroke!"

Beside Simba, Nala let out a moan. She covered her eyes in exasperation. Elizabeth was pleased. _Good. Now for phase two._ Elizabeth started speaking again. "Alpha, I absolutely refuse to sleep outdoors! My wolves are nocturnal! We sleep in the day, and we are used to the cold weathers of Yellowstone. I demand that my wolves get a proper place to sleep, or I'll get some hyenas to attack you!"

Simba didn't look too pleased. "What are your conditions, Elizabeth?" he sighed. Elizabeth drew herself to full height, pretending to look insulted. "Address me by my title, Lady, Alpha, or Pack's mother, at the very least! Then I might actually answer your question!" she growled. She felt Dean's eyes look at her admiringly.

Nala and Simba sighed. "Alright, Alpha Elizabeth. And what shall we address your mate?" grumbled Nala. "My title is either Lord, Alpha or Pack's guardian," growled Dean. "Okay, then, Pack's mother and guardian. What are your conditions for a proper den?" sighed Simba.

Elizabeth fired away. "Shaded, between a hunting ground and the water hole, preferably a cave in a valley, beside a creek or somewhere red, and must have enough space for a dozen wolves. One wolf will stand guard throughout the night, and Yew does not have the rights to sleep with us."

Elizabeth knew that she had lots of conditions, but she enjoyed torturing the King and the Queen of Pridelands. Simba sighed, and Nala groaned. "What about the gorge?" Nala suggested. Simba stiffened.

"Does it fulfill our requirements?" asked Dean. Nala nodded. But Elizabeth wasn't so sure. She could easily read Simba's expression. "Have there been any casualties there? Stampedes, avalanches, earthquakes, deaths?" she asked. Simba sighed. "My father, King Mufasa, was killed in a stampede there," he replied.

"Then no. Listen; don't doubt our skills. Just give us a place, and we'll dig out the den," growled Dean, losing patience. A look of relief crossed Simba and Nala's expressions. "Then go to the waterhole. Go northwest, and under an acacia tree, you'll find a place with reddish-brown soil. A creek flows beside it, and it's in a valley." Simba said.

But Elizabeth had more retorts, though a look from Dean told her against it. "Good. Thank you. We will be back later, mind you. But for now, we will be gone,"


	4. Hyena Trouble

**I'm spoiling you! Three chapters in one day... Oh, and consider this the disclaimer for the rest of the story.**

**Disclaimer: Disney owns Lion King, not me.**

Simba would not admit how relieved he was when the wolves left. That Elizabeth sure knew how to speak! Nala also looked relieved. "Glad she's gone," Nala sighed. Simba couldn't help but agree. "You've got a point, Nala. What a handful she is!" Then he turned to Sarabi and Sarafina. "Just continue the hunt. Kovu, you might as well help me with the rounds," Simba ordered. Kovu nodded. "Good. Kovu, you can head south. I'll go east, then we'll meet again at Priderock,"

Simba walked to the watering hole to drink. Then Zazu interrupted his rounds. "Sire, the morning reports! The alligators complain that there is no food! The antelope are quarreling with the zebra over grazing rights. And the flamingoes say that their eggs are being trampled by ostrich, and the ostrich accuses them of vice versa!" Simba let Zazu's voice fade into the background. On the rounds, he met the wolves.

They were digging vigorously at the ground. There was a cleft between two rocks, covered by a fallen tree. Creek was digging a den underneath it. He took turns with the rest of the pack to dig. "How's it going?" called Bramble. He had obviously been put on bedding duty with the other juveniles, since there was a small pile of leaves in front of him.

"Not so well," grimaced Dean. "The soil's too hard to dig properly. I've sent Willow and Oak to get water to soften this up, but there's no moss to collect it or any snow, so we have to use our fur. Why don't you go for a dip? It's hot here," Bramble nodded in agreement. He ran to the waterhole and there was a small splash as he jumped in.

"There's alligators in there, you know," Simba warned Dean. "I know," he said, "but we've faced worst than them. Besides, you don't know how well we swim and run."

As if to prove his point, a small group of five was seen speeding past, chasing a gazelle. Three of them broke away, disappearing. The gazelle was chased away from sight. Simba was impressed. The cheetahs, much less his lions, were probably barely able to win a race with the wolves.

Simba finished his rounds and returned to Priderock. Much to his dismay, however, the lionesses had caught nothing. "Simba!" called Nala, "some hyena decided to take our kill, since we brought it down near the Outlands. We'll have to hunt again,"

"If you can, then you should hunt again. The cubs might get hungry at this rate. I'll go scare of the hyenas," said Simba. Nala nodded and the hunt begun again. Simba managed to find the hyenas trail to the wolf den. But he didn't have to worry about scaring them off, though, since the wolves were dealing with it. "Scavengers! Baying babies! Laughing off your sanity! No honor! An insult to canines! **(Some of the words are censored in order to keep this fan fiction rated T)**" were some of the insults the wolves were hurling.

Elizabeth suddenly walked up. "You dare call yourselves canines? You barely have the brains to be rated a feline! No, cross that out! Not enough brains to be a jellyfish! A proper canine should actually have an even back! You're nothing more than a dirty scavenger! No proper canine would dare steal prey if not completely necessary! I bet you can't even hunt!" she growled.

The hyenas went crazy. They charged the wolves. But that must have been their plans all along, since they leapt aside. The hyenas dug furiously at the ground, obviously thinking that the wolves had hidden there. "Hey! Spotty face! Who are you looking for?" taunted Valley. The hyenas looked up and charged the wolves. This time they stood and fought.

Simba had to admit that they fought impressively. Two or three wolves circled five hyenas each, then leapt. They landed straight on the hyenas' backs, causing them to buckle. One wolf would get in the way of a hyena. When the hyena attacked, they jumped away and tossed a couple of other hyenas into the hyena's path.

"Retreat! Return to the outlands!" shouted Shenzi. The hyenas ran away, and the wolves howled in triumph. Simba decided to check that they really did go away. He followed them to the outlands. When they really did go, he returned to the Priderock. "How did it go?" greeted Nala. "I didn't really have to do anything. The hyenas met the wolves, and Elizabeth's pack scared them off. I think some of the hyenas died in the outlands,"

Nala's eyes widened. "Goodness, they are good fighters!" Simba nodded. "Was the hunt successful?" he asked. Nala nodded. "Yeah. But we could only catch a wildebeest. No zebra today," Even though Simba didn't like wildebeest very much, he knew the other choice was to starve.

After the meal, Simba decided to check on the wolves. When he reached the den, no one was there. The waterhole was also empty of canines. There was no point in searching farther, so Simba just returned to Priderock.


	5. Petiton

Greetings to the fine folk that moderate our site.

Myself, along with many, have been writing and posting on your fine site for years now, some of the better examples of up and coming writers out there are now suddenly finding some of the stories we've come to love at risk of being removed without the chance to even rectify our errors.

For some, that means the permanent loss of a story. While I don't have anything that I believe violates your terms of use, there are those out there that are never able to recover a story in its original form, this is something I find to be almost worthy of a legal action, as while we cannot claim ownership of a character, the stories are OURS and simply destroying them is something that is inexcusable.

It's quite easy to simply add an MA rating, additional filters or even a simple requirement for a free membership to read the stories presented here, and would cut down on hateful anonymous reviews and posts at the same time, so I have to question as to why such a thing, in all this time, simply wasn't added.

If you're worried about falsification of a registration then have an appropriate disclaimer and then there can be no dispute, you took your steps and the PARENTS didn't monitor their children, if that is even your concern. If it is more of a personal view or desire then please at least let people know and give them a chance to remove a story that you and yours find offensive, most people on the site are actually rather cordial when it comes to such requests.

While I cannot say for sure if this letter will even reach those that may be willing to listen, of if it's more akin to a wide spectrum purge in preparation for something bigger, please understand that you are going to be looseing a LARGE number of your writers, and thus your income from a lack of readers if there is not some level of action taken to help with this situation.

For those that may agree with this, please feel free to sign on and send this to the support server, maybe we can get some movement on this.

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If you could do what some other authors have done and post this petition as a temporary new chapter on some of your stories to help spread the word? It would help a lot it's how I found out about this.

Personally, I don't read M fics, but some people do, and I'd hate to tarnish their reading.


	6. Hunting Buffalo and Simba!

Elizabeth and her pack, in fact, were at the den. She wanted to teach the juveniles how to ambush, so she had let Simba believe that the pack was hunting. The adults were all hidden at the top of the valley. The juveniles were downwind of Simba. Just as he was heading to Priderock, Jelly flicked her tail. It caused a slight rustle in the bushes. When Simba was distracted, Wood and Mountain attacked. Simba had barely registered what had happened when they disappeared.

Wood and Mountain were replaced by Jelly and Bramble. It went on like that for a while, until Simba roared and turned around. That was used to the advantage of the juveniles. They all leapt at once, toppling Simba. Suddenly Wood jumped off and howled in triumph. The rest of the juveniles followed suite.

Smirking, Elizabeth leapt onto the ground. "Good job, Jelly, Wood, Mountain and Bramble! I like that strategy. I promise you, one day we'll be using it in battle," The juveniles looked delighted. Simba didn't look very happy that he had been used for battle practice. Elizabeth howled for her pack, and they leapt down at once. "Thanks, Simba! There aren't any coyotes or bears to practice fighting with here, so I told my pack to practice with the lions and hyenas. The leopards are much too easy, and it wouldn't be fair to pick on the cheetahs, since they're tiny."

Simba huffed. "Do you use any passerby to practice fighting on?" Elizabeth tilted her head, considering it. She did use quite a lot of passerby to practice fighting on. "Well, not all the time. But we do quite often, to train and defend. Once we even practiced on a moose. Ha, got extra prey from that practice!" Elizabeth chuckled. She missed Yellowstone very much.

"I'll be going back to Priderock now. Good luck with the den," What Simba did not know was that the hyenas had dug out the den for them. The wolves could now rest in peace. "Red Creek Valley Pack! Gather! We must hunt. Wood; stay back to guard the den. The rest of us will be hunting buffalo. Sandy, go gather healing supplies. Now let us be off!" barked Dean.

The wolves automatically filed into a hunting formation. Dean was at the head, Elizabeth beside him but slightly behind. Creek and Red were behind them. The adults stood side to side. The juveniles crouched behind them, and Yew was crouched apart from the hunting group.

"Willow, Yew, go scent the buffalo. Lead us there," ordered Elizabeth. Yew scurried away, sniffing madly. Willow was more dignified, going around calmly to track. The rest of the pack trotted after them.

A few kilometers away, they found a buffalo herd. "Tree, Oak, scatter the herd. Jelly, crouch over there with Valley. When I give the signal, jump out and go into the herd. The rest of us join them."

The wolves nodded. Valley and Jelly crouched among some bushes. Tree and Oak immediately leapt into the herd. They brayed in panic and scattered wildly. Dean flicked his tail, and Jelly and Valley leapt into the fray. The rest of the pack bounded there as well.

Elizabeth smelled weakness. She bounded into the middle of the herd, and found a big, ill buffalo. "Weakling!" she howled. The rest of the pack immediately ran to her. They snapped and scratched the buffalo. In alarm, it was separated from the herd. The buffalo tried to run away, but the wolves followed it.

It was a usual hunt. They chased the buffalo far from the herd until they brought it down. The pack howled in triumph. They ate as much as they could, and then pulled off two of the legs. They were going to give the legs to Wood and Sandy.

"Wow! You sure had a good hunt!" exclaimed Sandy when they returned. Elizabeth smiled. "But it's nowhere near as good as elk," added Wood. "I know, my little moose, I know. And one day we'll go back there," But Elizabeth couldn't help but wonder if the promise would come true. All she hoped was that she could lead the pack in this time of distraught.


	7. Midnight Fire

Howling waked Simba up. It was midnight, but the wolves were as active as ever. Beside him, Nala woke up with a groan. "Mmmm… those wolves just had to interrupt my wonderful dream," she mumbled sleepily. Simba could make out the silhouette of several wolves running in the distance. It was night, and they were playing?

Suddenly, lightning struck the ground outside. Flames rose. "Fire!" roared Kovu from the entrance. Simba rushed outside. Wolves were scrambling onto Priderock. Suddenly, Wood slipped. She nearly fell into the flames, but a white wolf, Jelly, pulled her back up.

Out of nowhere, Simba heard a shriek. It was Nala! She had pushed Kiara back onto the ledge, but she was now dangling from Priderock. Simba rushed to her and pulled her back up. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jelly slipping off Priderock. She was too far away from the other wolves or lions to be helped back up.

Simba had to choose, save his mate, or noble young juvenile who had put her own life in peril from saving her sister?

Both were slipping fast, lives in danger. If he saved Jelly, Priderock would have no queen. But if he saved Nala, the pack would lose a valuable young juvenile who had saved a potential wolf. His mate or a stranger juvenile?

Simba had decided. He would save Nala's live, and hopefully someone would realize Jelly was in danger. Grasping Nala's scruff, he pulled her back onto Priderock. Elizabeth came bounding by, towards her second youngest puppy. But the wolf had slipped into the flames.

"Jelly!" shrieked Elizabeth.

**Ok, ok! I know it's short, but I needed it to be like that so I could get a cliffhanger. Will Jelly survive? The next chapter will partly be from Jelly's point of view, so you can feel her last moments, and Elizabeth's, so you can feel the angst of the Pack's Mother. Both first POV.**


	8. The Alpha's Fury

"Jelly!" I heard Mother shrieking. I had fallen off Priderock, and I was in more pain than imaginable. I was choking on smoke, and I had broken a leg. I saw a small cave, hidden from the smoke. Perhaps I could hide there while the fire burned.

It took all my remaining strength to crawl into the cave. Fortunately, there was a small pool there. I crawled into the pool, drinking some water. My burns cooled at the touch of water. Hopefully Mother, Father, Wood and my pack would find me here, where I would say my last words.

* * *

"Jelly!" I shrieked. Maybe she was still alive! I needed to get there, quick if I wanted to meet my daughter again. Fortunately, rain started pouring down right then, and I leapt off Priderock. I scurried around, trying to scent my daughter. The rest of the pack followed.

Just when I was about to give up hope, I heard faint coughing. Jelly! "Wood, Sandy, Dean! Come here!" I barked. Sandy came with some honey, followed by Wood and Dean. "I think I've found Jelly! Come with me!" The pack followed me into the cave. Maybe my little, noble, brave Jelly was still alive.

* * *

Mother! I heard her scurrying into the cave, followed by my father, Sandy and Wood. "Jelly!" Mother gasped. She and Father rushed to me, cleaning my ash-covered fur. Sandy came and made me take some medicine. Wood gasped and licked me as well, murmuring her thanks.

"Mo-mother," I coughed. "F-father. Wood, Sandy. Wood, don't blame you. I chose my own path to death. Sandy, I'm sorry. I wanted to be your apprentice, to learn the healing ways. Father, Mother, thank you for raising me so well. I was never the most skilled juvenile, but you protected me,"

"Shush, my little one. Don't speak. Let yourself live longer," I heard Mother whisper. But I wanted them to hear my last words. "T-thank you. For everything," I whispered. I heard Mother and Father say something. What they did next shocked me.

"Young juvenile, your time has come. Let you go to the Spirit Pack an adult. Jelly, in your last moments, we, Alphas of the Red Creek Valley Pack, proclaim you adult,"

"Thank you," I whispered. Those were my last words. The meaning of my life.

Then I breathed my last breath, and joined the Spirit Pack.

* * *

"Jelly!" I wailed. My brave little moose was dead! She had not lived a full life, but she had died! But as I calmed down, I realized that she truly did choose her own path. She had willingly died in service of her pack. A shadow loomed in the den.

"Elizabeth? Dean? Wood, Sandy? Are you alright?" Simba asked. He had slipped into the den right after Jelly died. I turned, eyes blazing. "AM I ALRIGHT, YOU ASK? MY PUPPY JUST DIED, AND YOU ASK IF I'M _ALRIGHT?_"

Simba backed off in alarm. Dean and my daughters stepped away cautiously. They had seen my temper snap before, and it wasn't pretty. "HOW STUPID CAN YOU GET? MY PUPPY JUST _DIED_, AND YOU THINK I'D BE ALRIGHT?" Simba backed off wildly. "YOU WERE RIGHT THERE, YOU COULD HAVE SAVED JELLY, BUT NO, YOU HAD TO SAVE NALA!" I was furious.

I marched out of the cave, but I turned around and slapped Simba with my paw before running off.

**Oh no! Elizabeth is mad! Will her sanity be saved? Or do you want to get on her bad side? This is how to get her—ouch. All right, alright! You don't need to get her mad.**


	9. The Lion Tale

**Hello, everyone! In the previous chapter, dear Jelly died. I was crying when I wrote that. In this chapter, you'll find out more about why Elizabeth hates lions.**

"Simba!" called Nala. Simba was still in the cave, slightly dazed, but at Nala's call, he got out. "Simba, what happened? All I heard was a very angry Elizabeth, wailing and growls," So Simba explained what had happened in Scar's old cave.

"Great Kings, all that happened? Elizabeth must be furious!" gasped Nala. "She is. I think she's in the den right now," Simba admitted. "Well then, let's go request an audience with her! Maybe we can get on her good side again,"

Privately, Simba doubted they were ever on Elizabeth's good side. But he didn't want to burst Nala's bubble, and followed her to the wolf den.

"Hello, Mountain. We request an audience with Lady Elizabeth," greeted Nala. Mountain looked uncomfortable. "Umm… Alpha Elizabeth refuses to grant an audience with anybody. She said that she will most especially not allow a lion to meet her," he muttered.

Simba sighed. Nala looked like she wanted to argue, but Simba's expression decided her against it. "When will she agree to have an audience with somebody?" asked Simba. "I don't know. Maybe by next month?" Mountain's answer didn't exactly lift Simba and Nala's spirits.

"How do you know? This has happened before?" asked Nala. Mountain nodded. "Once. A rogue wolf accidentally killed Sandy's brother, Forest. That time, Mum stayed in the den for nearly one and a half months. Was horrible. Mum had to be force-fed. And we had to shove snow down her throat," Simba sighed. "That wolf really needs to work on her temper,"

"Who needs to work on their temper?" asked Wood, climbing out of the den. "Mum. What were you doing, anyway? Weren't you part of the hunting party?" Wood shook her head. "Nope. Sandy agreed to take me on as her apprentice for healing, remember?" Mountain whacked himself on the head.

"Of course! Sorry about that. Sandy is looking for honey. We ran out of that during the fire. She's busy yelling at Bramble right now for dropping her cobweb stock into the fire. So maybe she's looking for spiders as well,"

Wood chuckled. "Ah, I pity Bramble. Sandy has Mama's temper, you know. It's amazing that Simba's still alive. Remember the rogue wolf, Rocky, that accidentally killed Forest? He nearly died after Elizabeth finished with him,"

Simba suddenly felt very, very lucky that Elizabeth only scratched him. Nala winced. "Did Elizabeth ever kill anyone?" Mountain and Wood tilted their heads, considering. "Well, Red told us this story once. She's Mama's first pup. She had two brothers and a sister. Once, a mountain lion came and attacked them. It was winter, and Red wasn't even a year old!

"Well, Red and her siblings weren't strong enough to fight the lion off. The lion killed Sunny, Night and Moon. She was about to kill Red as well. But Creek's mother, River, attacked the lion. The lion killed her, too. She managed to scar Red's muzzle and Creek's shoulder. But it was the end of that lion when Mama attacked her.

"Red said Mama had never been more furious. She blinded the lion, cut her ears and didn't give him a quick death. No, she sliced open the lion's belly and fed the insides to some ravens. Usually, we eat anything in winter, including mountain lions. But Mama said that there was no way we would eat a black-hearted lion, and tossed her off the mountain. Now she forbids us to eat lion, since she said they were much too low to eat. We just kill them,"

By the end of Wood's tale, Simba felt like throwing up. "You know, you're very lucky to be alive. Mum hates lions, mountain or African. I guess the smoke tired her more than she let on. Mum never appears weak. Tell Kiara she's lucky to be alive," commented Mountain. He sighed. "Oh, how I miss Yellowstone. One day, we'll be going back there," he murmured. Simba didn't know why, but he knew that Mountain's wish was a promise. One to be fulfilled.


	10. A Shaky Alliance

_A moon after the fire_

"Mama, staying in the den won't help you. Jelly's dead, as much as I hate to admit it,"

Elizabeth barely paid attention to her pack healer. "—And you're not doing any of the pups any good either," Elizabeth snorted. "Sandy, my dear, non of you are puppies any more. You're full grown adults that should be able to care for yourselves,"

Sandy tilted her head. "Mama, don't tell me you don't realize you're pregnant again?" This caught Elizabeth's attention. "What? Why didn't you tell me?" Sandy rolled her eyes. "I have been trying to tell you, Mama. But you didn't listen," Elizabeth felt bad for not listening to her daughter, the pack healer nonetheless.

"Sorry about that, Sandy. I just miss Jelly. It's like losing Forest all over again," Sandy winced. "I miss her too, Mama. Everyone does. But you need to stay strong for the unborn pups. They need you more than Jelly or anyone else does right now. Jelly wouldn't want us to be sad. We need to stay strong for her."

Elizabeth sighed. "Thank you, Sandy. Now let's get out of here. I might as well go for a walk and a drink before you confine me to the den," Sandy smiled mischievously. "Actually, I am going to confine you to the den now. They're due in a moon,"

Elizabeth jerked her head. "What? Hey, at least let me out to drink!" she exclaimed. Sandy sighed. "Alright. Just that. But only if Wood or I are accompanying you. We don't need you to give birth outside the den like you did with me, Willow and Valley, now."

Elizabeth chuckled. "Alright. But can you send a delegation of lions here, please? I would like to speak with them, apologize for my outburst," Sandy smiled, and then went to find the lions.

Yawning, Elizabeth curled up for a nap. A few minutes later, Sandy waked her. "Hey, Mama, the lions are here. Well, more like Zazu is here. The lions are hunting, and Simba is on his rounds,"

"Great. So instead of the lions, we get the birdy messenger. Oh, well. Tell him to come in," muttered Elizabeth. A few seconds later, a very frightened looking major domo hopped into the den. Elizabeth smiled warmly at him, not showing her teeth.

"Hello, Zazu. I promise I won't eat you. Zazu, please tell Simba that I'm sorry about my temper a moon ago. And tell him that I will not accept any visitors into the den until my pups are born. If there's anything anyone wants to tell me, tell it to my wolves," Elizabeth commanded.

Zazu nodded, then his eyes widened in realization. "You're pregnant, Alpha Elizabeth? Congratulations!" he squawked. Elizabeth nodded. "Thank you, Zazu. And its just 'Elizabeth' when there's no formal matter,"

Zazu nodded. "Okay, Elizabeth. I'll be going now. Tell us when the puppies are born!" And with that, the major domo hopped out of the den.

Elizabeth decided to continue her interrupted nap. But only a minute later, Creek waked her. "Elizabeth? There's some giraffe outside," At first Elizabeth thought she had heard wrong, but then she realized that giraffe scent was floating into the den.

The Alpha leapt up in shock. "How…?" she gasped. Creek smiled dryly. "It was an old one. One of its legs was broken. An easy catch." Elizabeth shook her head in wonder and climbed out of the den. It was the first time she had been out of the den in a week, since her grief had been so great.

A large giraffe was lying outside the den. Elizabeth and Dean ate first. She ate out the flanks and the belly, followed by Dean. The rest of the pack followed. By the time they were finished, there was still lots of giraffe left. None of them were sure about what to do with the remains.

Just after they finished, the lionesses passed their den. Sarafina's eyes widened. "How did you get a giraffe? We didn't even get a gazelle!" exclaimed Vitani in shock. "We're wolves. Don't question our ways," was Tree's reply.

Elizabeth smiled at the lions. "Do you want the spares? We won't be able to finish this," she offered. Nala turned and spoke quietly to the more respected lionesses (in other words, herself, Sarabi, Sarafina, Kiara and Vitani).

After a while, Nala turned to the wolves. "Sure, thank you. We don't want the giraffe to go to waste. I've sent two of our lionesses to find Simba. We won't be able to drag the giraffe home," A few minutes later, a confused Simba came to the den.

"Nala, what's going on? Heri and Mkali just told me to come here," he asked. Nala turned to her mate. "We didn't catch anything on the hunt, and the wolves offered us the remains of their giraffe," Simba turned to the wolves, astonished. "You caught a giraffe? Last time a hunt tried to catch a giraffe, on of the lionesses died," Dean huffed in amusement.

"None of us are dead. Sure, Oak got a bruise from one of the giraffe's hooves, but Sandy and Wood are dealing with it. The giraffe was drinking, alone and weak. We were looking for okapi, but we decided to go for the giraffe, since the neck was exposed," explained Tree.

Simba nodded. "Well, thank you. This is the second time the pride lost a catch in this moon, and we don't want the meal to go to waste," Leaving the pride to eat, Elizabeth slipped off to take a walk, but was stopped by Wood. "Mama, what did Sandy say about going away from the den? Let's go back,"

So sighing in defeat, Elizabeth followed her daughter to the den.

When she returned, Elizabeth saw lions and wolves eating side-by-side in peace. Elizabeth had lived long enough to understand the shaky, yet warm atmosphere. This was merely a start to a shaky alliance.


	11. Hyenas Again!

Simba looked up from tearing off part of the neck. A not-so-happy looking Elizabeth and a stern looking Wood were returning to the den. "What's going on?" he asked to Wood as Elizabeth slipped into the den. Wood smiled, wagging her tail. "Mama isn't allowed to go away from the den except to drink. To think she'd get past me!" snorted the young apprentice.

"Why isn't she allowed to go away from the den?" asked Nala. "She's pregnant. None of us want her puppies to be born outside the den like with Sandy's birth. Valley nearly died,"

Simba was surprised. Elizabeth was pregnant? "She's expecting? When are the pups due?" Wood tilted her head. "I guess… probably in a couple of weeks or so. Maybe later, maybe earlier. I've got to go now. Sandy's out of dock," Wood ran off to find herbs.

Without warning, two lionesses, Uzuri and Afya ran up, panting. "Your majesty! Hyenas! In the Pridelands! They've got Bahati!" panted Afya. Uzuri just flopped down in exhaustion, blood flowing freely from a wound in her side.

Sandy immediately came over, covering the wound with cobwebs and some herbs. Dean, Valley, Creek and Red ran up. "Hyenas? We'll deal with them," Before Simba could say anything, the wolves ran off to deal with the hyenas.

Mountain, Wood and Willow stood protectively at the den. Sandy hurried in to tell Elizabeth. A few minutes later, Red and Creek returned, dragging along Bahati. She was barely breathing. "Bad state. There's at least thirty hyenas. Dad said to get backup," panted Red. Tree, Oak, Yew and Bramble ran straight away to the hyenas.

Creek turned to Simba. "Dean also said to get about four lions. Wolves alone cannot win this battle," With that, Creek and Red ran off to join the battle. Willow got up, along with Mountain. "Sandy, Wood, we'll go fight the hyenas. If worst comes to worst… well, you can expect backup,"

The pale silver and yellowish-brown wolves ran off to reinforce their pack. Simba got up. "Vitani, Kovu, Yaani, come with me. The wolves might need help," he ordered. Nala stood up. "Wait! I'll come too!" The five lions raced for the zebras' grazing spots, where Bahati had said the hyenas were. It was bad when they reached there.

The wolves were injured but still fighting. There was blood everywhere. Red was limping, and Willow had a bad gash down her flank. Simba roared. The hyenas stopped, and ran away. A few minutes later, Sandy and Wood came, carrying cobwebs and various herbs.

The worst-injured wolves were treated first. Wood was sent back to the den with the healthier wolves. "Simba, tell Yaani and Kovu to go back to the den. Everybody else, stay here. We'll need backup if the hyenas attack again," The lions carried out Sandy's orders. They knew better than to go against a healer's orders.

"I just hope this ends well…" murmured Sandy.

**Don't kill me! I know it's short, but I'll post another chapter today to make up for it. Okay? And don't forget, the blue button is waiting! I just understood why reviews are so much-loved…**


	12. A Faithful Lesson

Elizabeth was horrified to see her injured pack. She ordered them to not hunt or leave the den except to drink and eat. As for the giraffe, she ordered some lionesses to wrap the remains in large leaves. The remains were kept out of the sun in a large, shaded pit.

Elizabeth reflected to a time when this had happened before. There had been war between her pack and another pack, the Blue Shadow Valley Pack. The Blue Shadow Pack was bigger than her own, but in a smaller, denser territory, with barely any prey.

One day, the Blue Shadows decided to attack the Red Creeks. Her wolves had been injured, but more than half the Blue Shadows had died. It had been horrible. The healthier wolves and the healers had to hunt hares and beavers. They even caught squirrels sometimes.

But that time, they had no close allies to help them. This time, the lions were ready to help them. Hopefully, this time it wouldn't be so bad. "Wood! Where's Sandy, Valley, Willow, Creek and Mountain?" called the Alpha to her daughter.

Wood looked up from treating Bramble's wound. "They're still at the attack site, Alpha. They were worst injured, and Sandy is giving them emergency treatment. They should be back shortly,"

Sure enough, the worst injured wolves returned. They flopped onto the ground, exhausted. Wood immediately started helping her sister heal the wolves. Elizabeth walked to lioness named Heri. "Heri, do you have a healer? My wolves need help,"

Heri nodded. "Yes, ma'am. Rafiki the mandrill is ours. Would you like me to get him?" Elizabeth nodded. "Tell this Fakiki that there has been a war. And assure him that I will not eat him, hungry as I am,"

"Rafiki, Alpha,"

"Yes, yes. Just get the shaman." Heri nodded and ran off to find Rafiki. Elizabeth turned to Simba. "How was the fight? I don't understand why my wolves are injured and you are not," There was a hint of danger in her voice. If the lions had chickened out on the fight, her claws were ready to slash and her fangs ready to kill.

Simba, obviously sensing the danger, backed away, wary. "The hyenas ran away when we came. I only wish we had come sooner," Elizabeth narrowed her eyes, not sure if he was lying. She turned to Dean, who nodded, confirming the tale.

Elizabeth sighed. She felt older and weaker than ever. "I wish so too. It is not easy to lead a pack," Then the small blonde she-wolf trotted to the den, her normally bright, silky soft fur looking dull and rough.

I wish I was never Alpha, Elizabeth thought, it's more work than ever. She looked up and the moon. Her mother had said that all great wolves lived in the stars, shining upon their packs. The moon was their den. They slept in the silver circle in the sky.

Elizabeth pricked her ears, alert. She heard bushes cracking. Mountain toppled into the den. "Mum, can you tell me the story of life after?" he begged. Elizabeth chuckled. "Come here, little one. I will tell you the story of life after.

"Lupus is the great wolf that roams the sky, with his mate Lupa. Together, they rule the skies. Their rule is fair and just. Each spring, all pups who die let their spirits be raised to Lupus and Lupa's den. Lupa raises them as her own pups, and Lupus defends them from evil Lycoan. He tries to steal the pups.

"When it is the next spring, the pups join their ancestors. And new pups join Lupus and Lupa. Lupus and Lupa are the great examples of good Alphas. They let the best of wolves join their pack. When those wolves are forgotten, they are reincarnated, born into a new life.

"Bad wolves fade into the elements. They become good, get another chance to be a better wolf. But the most evil become the spirits of death. They are not forgotten, but not remembered either. If you are a good wolf, you will join Lupus's pack. But if you are bad, you will become the spirits of death," warned Elizabeth.

Mountain whimpered. "I promise I will be a good wolf, not like bad Grizzly," Elizabeth winced. Grizzly's tale was truly a horrid one. "Would you like to hear his tale?" offered Elizabeth. Mountain shook his head, eyes wide. "No thanks. Last time, I got nightmares," Elizabeth sighed, nuzzling her puppy.

"Grizzly was a bad wolf. But he was good as well. He was misguided by Maple to do bad deeds. But Maple herself was good. Both Grizzly and Maple thought they were doing the best possible for their pack. They betrayed their pack, yes, but with a good motive.

"They were both brave, strong and stubborn. They were intelligent, and in the end, they brought an alliance between the Valley Packs and the Glacier Packs," Elizabeth gently licked her pup's ears. "And you can be like the good side of Maple and Grizzly. Brave, smart, loyal to your pack.

'Hopefully, Grizzly and Maple will get a new chance, as the elements, protecting their home. Even the worst of wolves can get a second chance. They fade into the elements, because without good and evil, the world would crumble. It is an intricate balance of alignments. The good and bad support us as steadily like a mountain does to cougars,"

**Have you ever read Warriors by Erin Hunter? Tigerstar inspired my Grizzly. Do you like my new cover? It was easy to make, and took ages to convert to .jpg form. I had to convert it through Adobe Illustrator, turn it into a PDF file, and finally convert it to .jpg through Photoshop! Whew! It's midnight now where I live, so night-night!**


	13. Everyday Quarrels

The King watched as the sun rose above the horizon. Zazu suddenly flitted out of nowhere, in front of Simba. "Good morning, Sire. There's a quarrel with the giraffe, something about stomping the wolves for killing one of their kind. And the hippos are fighting with the rhino for a grazing spot," Simba shook his head.

"They're at it again? I have half a mind to banish those two from that spot," Zazu smiled dryly. "I second that. And a leopard and cheetah are fighting over the wolves' spare giraffe," Simba shot his head up. "But I thought that was reserved for the pack!"

"Did you announce it?" Zazu shot back. Simba shook his head, slightly sheepish. "I'd better go confront those two. The wolves need their rations,"

When Simba arrived at the scene, the leopard and cheetah were roaring at each other.  
"I arrived first!" snarled the cheetah. "But I scared away the wolf that was trying to steal this stock!" the leopard retorted. "What's going on here?" roared Simba. The cheetah and leopard jumped, turning to the King. "Oh, your Majesty! We were simply fighting over this succulent giraffe meat here!" stammered the cheetah.

"Do you not know," said Simba, "that this is the wolves' rations? They have been injured chasing hyenas away from the Pridelands, and now they're living off scraps from their previous hunt. If you really need the giraffe, perhaps Alpha Dean and Alpha Elizabeth will be feeling merciful,"

The cheetah and leopard's eyes widened. "We are sorry. We didn't know. We'll go hunt now. We promise that we won't take the giraffe without the Alphas' consent," stammered the leopard. Bowing, they raced off to find different prey.

Simba sighed and shook his head. "I hope that's it, Zazu," Zazu cocked his head. "When is a mere quarrel all, sire? There's that dispute with the cape dog packs going on again. Something about territory,"

Simba winced. Last time that happened, he'd been lucky to get out unscratched. "Let's hope this doesn't end like last time," he said to Zazu, who too winced.

When they arrived around the edges of the Pridelands, on the opposite side of the Outlands, the two packs, the Maji pack and the Moto pack. Simba found it ironic that it was the third time they quarreled in this moon.

The Maji Alpha female, Hekima, was yelling with her mate, Nguvu, at the Moto Alpha female, Neema. Her mate, Huduma, was at the point of lunging at Nguvu. Simba hoped they didn't fight as well as Elizabeth's pack.

"Nguvu, it is the dry season! We need more water!" shouted Neema.

"Well, Neema, you can tell your pack we will gladly grant them water, but stealing a gazelle is out of the question!" bellowed Hekima. Huduma snarled.

"Pretty little Hekima, surely the weakling isn't going to be angry?" he taunted. Hekima's patience snapped. She lunged at Huduma, and the two dogs started fighting on the border. Snarling, Neema threw herself at Nguvu. They two started wrestling. "Oh, dear. How I wish Elizabeth or Dean were here," muttered Simba.

The two Alphas were much more used to settling these sort of territorial disputes. But as if the Great Kings, or Spirit Pack, as the wolves called their ancestors, heard, Elizabeth and Dean walked up there and then.

"What is going on here?" asked Dean sternly. The dogs broke apart at once, and seeing the two mighty wolves, started groveling in the ground. "Oh, your majesty! Great descendant of Lupus and Lupa! We apologize so humbly for acting like pups in front of wolves!" gasped Neema.

Simba was confounded. Never before had the cape hunting dog Alphas groveled like this. "Well, if you want to be called Alphas, you better start acting like ones, and that includes _settling territorial disputes like adults,_ understand?" said Elizabeth sternly.

The two sets of Alphas nodded fervently. "Yes, O Mighty Wolves!" yipped Hekima. "Good. Now what seems to be the problem?" The African wild dogs looked horrified that they had included another pack into their dispute. Simba left for the Alphas to deal with the dogs, and turned to Zazu. "Any other problems?"

"Yes, sire, the antelope and gazelle are having a fight about grazing rights near Priderock. Something about getting good spots but going through uneaten," Simba chuckled. The hunting lionesses had a habit of eating zebra that grazed directly under Priderock.

After Simba had dealt with all the disputes, he turned to Zazu. "That's it?" Zazu nodded. "I think the lionesses are back from the hunt, sire. Why don't we go back to Priderock?" suggested Zazu. As Simba had nothing better to do, he obliged and followed the majordomo to Priderock.

It turned out Zazu was right. The lionesses were back with an okapi. Nala was waiting for him. "Hi, Simba. I saw what happened with the cape dogs. Explain?" greeted the queen. "After I eat my fill. The rhinos were on another rampage today, and let's just say I'm lucky to be alive," Nala winced. Once, rhinos on a rampage had reached Priderock when they were cubs, and it hadn't been pretty.

"At least the wildebeest weren't at it again. The South herd and the North herd were beginning to boil today. We wanted to hunt them, but they looked a bit angry, so we didn't dare," said Nala.

Simba sighed. Last time the wildebeest were disputing, he had been lucky to make it out of the quarrel without a scratch. "What's it this time?" he asked. Nala looked slightly hesitant.

"Well… Hofu is accusing the South herd of trampling Mufasa a few years ago, and Korongo says that the North herd trampled Mufasa. It's just a debate between the leaders right now, but it might turn into a full-blown battle by tomorrow," explained Nala.

Simba winced. "I'd better deal with that now, instead of getting another stampede," Before Nala could protest, he finished his share and ran off to the North and South herds' grazing grounds. When he arrived, Hofu and Korongo were trying to trample each other.

"My herd had nothing to do with that stampede! It was your herd that started the stampede!" bellowed Korongo. Hofu hit his opponent in the shoulder. "But your herd were in the gorge when Mufasa fell!" he retorted, trying to knock over Korongo. Zazu suddenly flitted out of nowhere. "Sire! Oh, I see you're handling the debate. It just got heated when you returned to Priderock," gasped Zazu.

"I can see that, Zazu. Nala has briefed me on this one," replied Simba. He stepped forward and gave a mighty roar. The wildebeest stopped at once, walking slowly away from each other. "Enough of this! My father's death was not either herd's fault. You both share equal blame for trampling him and being chased by hyenas. In fact, you were hardly to blame. A stampede could happen anytime. Scar dropping my father down the gorge happened only once, so get over it," snapped the king.

Korongo and Hofu cautiously turned to Simba and backed away, their herds parting on either side. "Now if this happens again, the only option will be for you to be replaced, or the herds to become one. Understand?" growled Simba sternly. Korongo and Hofu nodded. "Your majesty, I did not start this, it was Korong—" said a panicked Hofu.

But Simba was furious. "I don't care who started this, just that this doesn't happen again. If it does…" Simba let the threat hang in the air, then stomped off to Priderock. But he was stopped by Valley. "King Simba, Lady Elizabeth has given birth to three healthy pups. There are two males named Africa and Pride, and a female named Savannah. Lord Dean and Lady Elizabeth have requested that I am given the task of informing lions," she said.

Simba blinked in surprise. "I thought the puppies were due next week," he said. Valley groaned. "Sandy told the lions that last week, remember?" reminded the black wolf. Then, she sprinted as fast as a cheetah to her den.

"I wonder what possessed Sandy and Wood to let Elizabeth go out of the den just half and hour before her pups were born," wondered Simba out loud. Zazu cocked his head. "Maybe the pups were already born, sire," suggested the hornbill.

"Maybe. We'd better tell the lionesses that Elizabeth's pups have been born. Perhaps we should let them into our den, since it's not safe for them to live in the open with a newborn litter,"

**Will the wolves move into the lion's den? This is almost the end. One more, then it's the sequel's reign.**


	14. New Friends

**Two chapters in a day! Sorry, but my new class is difficult. It was the holidays, and please forgive me. I'll post the sequel in a month, perhaps, to even things out.**

Elizabeth was surprised, to say at least, when Kovu, Kiara, Simba and Nala arrived at the wolves' den. She had been nursing her three puppies. Savannah was the oldest, with a light, tawny-yellow pelt. Her brother, Pride, had a pelt with shades of silver, gray and white. Africa's was brown, black and tan.

Kiara, the smallest had wriggled into the den. "Hello, Lady Elizabeth. The pride has a proposal for the pack to live in Priderock. It won't be safe for the newborns here, and wolves merging with lions could mark a new era," greeted the princess.

Elizabeth tilted her head, considering. "You have my vote. But you will need Dean's opinion as well," she said slowly, nuzzling her little pups. "I agree," came Dean's voice. He had been hidden in a cooler, lower part of the den, hidden in the shadows.

"Then it is settled. Sandy, Wood, Red, Creek! We are moving to the lions' den. Sandy, Wood, Red, take the puppies to the den. Tree, Oak, Valley, protect them the way there. Willow, Bramble, Mountain, go ahead to the den. Creek, Yew, be our sweepers. Dean and I shall lead the way. Willow, Bramble, Mountain, be off!" barked Elizabeth.

The entire pack moved into action. Willow, Bramble and Mountain raced ahead to clear the way. Red and the healers each picked up a puppy. Tree, Oak and Valley made a triangular shape around the three. The Alphas waited at the den entrance, while Creak and Yew waited at the back, checking no one was left behind.

The pack immediately sprinted to Priderock. When they arrived, Willow, Bramble and Mountain picked up the puppies, giving Red and the healers a chance to rest. Dean and Elizabeth climbed up the rock, where the lions greeted them. Dean let out a short, commanding howl, and the wolves quickly lined up by rank.

In those few moments, a warmth and hospitality was exchanged between the two species. For then, the lions no longer mistrusted the canines, and the pack warmed to the pride.

**My first LK fanfic over! *Sobs* But keep an eye out for the sequel, Tables Turned.**


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